Type wheel arresting and blocking device

ABSTRACT

A manual printer has a set of type wheels turned and set by manually operated rack bars which have additional slanted recesses and projections engaged by a spring-biassed arresting bar which is resiliently and yieldingly displaced by the slanted portions during setting of the type wheels. The blocking lever is biassed by a strong spring to block the yielding movement of the arresting bar, but is held in an inoperative position by a feeler lever engaging a wheel of the platen carriage when the carriage is in the initial position so that the type wheels can be set with the arresting bar resiliently yielding. When the carriage is manually moved with the platen in a printing stroke out of the initial position and over the type wheels, the feeler lever releases the blocking lever which blocks the arresting bar in the position arresting the rack bars and thereby the type wheels, so that the manual force during setting, and the action of the platen during printing, cannot displace a type wheel set in the initial position of the carriage.

United States Patent 1 Araki et al.

[451 May 6,1975

[ TYPE WHEEL ARRESTING AND BLOCKING DEVICE [75] Inventors: Yasuo Araki; Fumiyuki Mishima;

Kenzi Tsukahara, all of Tokyo, Japan [73] Assignee: Janome Sewing Machine Co. Ltd.,

Tokyo, Japan 22 Filed: Aug. 3, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 385,602

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 16. 1973 Japan 48-19644 [52] US. Cl. 101/45 [51] Int. Cl B4lf 1/08 [58] Field of Search 101/45, 56, 269-274 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,138,091 6/1964 Maul 101/45 3,279,369 10/1966 Wight 101/56 X 3,322,062 5/1967 Maul 101/45 3,363,547 1/1968 Thut et al. 101/45 3,405,634 10/1968 Maul et al 101/45 3,494,282 2/1970 Gouss 101/45 3,515,060 6/1970 Barbour 101/45 3,776,130 12/1972 Tamiya 101/45 Primary Examiner-Edgar S. Burr Assistant Examiner-Edward M. Coven Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT A manual printer has a set of type wheels turned and set by manually operated rack bars which have additional slanted recesses and projections engaged by a spring-biassed arresting bar which is resiliently and yieldingly displaced by the slanted portions during setting of the type wheels. The blocking lever is biassed by a strong spring to block the yielding movement of the arresting bar, but is held in an inoperative position by a feeler lever engaging a wheel of the platen carriage when the carriage is in the initial position so that the type wheels can be set with the arresting bar resiliently yielding. When the carriage is manually moved with the platen in a printing stroke out of the initial position and over the type wheels, the feeler lever releases the blocking lever which blocks the arresting bar in the position arresting the rack bars and thereby the type wheels, so that the manual force during setting, and the action of the platen during printing, cannot displace a type wheel set in the initial position of the carriage.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAY' sins SHEET 1 BF 4 PATENTEDHAY 6l975 SHEET h 0F 4 TYPE WHEEL ARRESTING AND BLOCKING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Manual printers are known for imprinting on a copy sheet the data carried by a credit card, together with variable data such as the amount of a purchase. A set of type wheels is provided, which can be individually set to represent a monetary amount. Each type wheel is secured to a gear engaged by a manually operated rack. and each type wheel is yieldingly arrested in a position in which a selected type is in a printing position. When the carriage is moved in a printing stroke, the platen may displace a set type wheel to a wrong angular position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome this disadvantage of the prior art, and to provide a type wheel arresting and blocking device which yieldingly arrests the type wheels during the manual setting operations, but blocks the type wheels when the carriage and platen have moved out of the initial position to perform the printing stroke during which the platen engages the set type wheels.

Another object of the invention is to block the yielding arresting means when the carriage and platen move out of the initial position during a printing stroke.

With these objects in view, a preferred arrangement of the present invention comprises a set of type wheels mounted on supporting means for angular movement. setting means including rack bars having a series of gear teeth meshing with arresting gears secured to the type wheels so that an aligned row of types represents information. the rack bars also having a series of slanted recesses and projections correlated with the types, carriage means including a platen being mounted for movement in a printing stroke out of an initial position and to a printing position in which the platen roller moves over the aligned row of said types, yieldable arresting means including an arresting member extending across the rack bars and arresting spring means biasing the arresting member to engage selected recesses, and to resiliently yield when engaged by one of the projections during setting of the type wheels, blocking means having a blocking position engaging and blocking the arresting means in the arresting position so that the type wheels are blocked, and an inoperative position spaced from the arresting means, biassing means for urging the blocking means to the blocking position, and linkage means connecting the carriage means with the blocking means so that in the initial position of the carriage means, the blocking means is held by the carriage means and linkage means in the inoperative position against the action of the biassing means.

Consequently, the type wheel means can be set with the arresting means resiliently yielding, but during the printing stroke of the carriage means, the blocking means is released for being held by the biasing means in the blocking position so that the type wheels are blocked against displacement by the platen roller or by the setting means.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view illustrating a printer according to the invention on a reduced scale;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, partially in section, illustrating the arresting and blocking device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective top view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1, a manual printer has a housing 4 on which a machine bed I is mounted, forming longitudinal slots between housing walls and machine bed 1. A carriage 2 is movable out of the illustrated initial position along the printing bed in a printing stroke, and then returned to the initial position. During such movement of carriage 2 with platen 3, the platen moves over a copy sheet P shown in broken lines, whose position is determined by corner abutments of which only one abutment 1a is shown. On an anvil lb, a credit card C can be placed, so that during the printing stroke, information is transferred from the credit card to the copy sheet. A set of coaxial type wheels 5, generally indicated A projects partly from the interior of housing 4 through a cutout in the machine bed I, so that a row of numerals is also imprinted on the copy sheet. These data are variable and are set by manual operation of buttons or keys 7a which are mounted on setting portions 7b, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A cover 4a is provided with slots 4b for the setting portions 7b, and with windows 41' in which numerals corresponding to the numbers set on the type wheels 5 appear.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the bed plate I is shown to have a cutout for the type wheels 5 each of which is integral with, or fixedly secured to a gear 6. All type wheel means 5, 6 are mounted on a common shaft 4 for free rotation, and each type wheel 5 has a series of types 50 around its periphery.

The carriage 2 has legs 2a projecting downward under the bed plate 1, and carrying wheels or rollers l8, l9 rolling on the top and bottom surfaces of the bed plate I. In FIG. 3, only a single roller 18 is shown which cooperates with a feeler lever 56 mounted on the bed plate 1 for pivotal movement with the pivot 58. Feeler lever 56 is biassed by a strong spring 59, and the arrangement is such that in the initial position of the carriage 2, the wheel 18 engages the curved free end of feeler lever 56 and displaces the same against the action of the strong spring 59. When carriage 2 moves out of the initial position shown in FIG. I, the wheel 18 releases feeler lever 56 so that spring 59 becomes effective to turn the feeler lever in the direction opposite to the arrow H for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter.

The rack bars 7 are integral with the setting portion 7b, and are guided for horizontal setting movement by slots 14' and 15 on transverse guide shafts l4 and 15. Each rack bar 7 has a series of rack teeth 7', meshing with the gears 6, so that different types 5a are placed in the operative position 5b in accordance with the longitudinal displacement of the rack bars 7 by the manually operated portions 7a and 7b.

While the upper edges of rack bars 7 have the rack teeth 7, the lower edges of rack bars 7 have slanted arresting projections 8a and arresting recesses 8.

An arresting bar 22 of angular shape is mounted on lever means 20 which are mounted on a shaft 21 on the frame of the housing, and are biassed by an arresting spring 24 connected with the arm 20a. The force of spring 24 urges the arresting bar 22 into transverse row of slanted arresting recesses 8a so that all rack bars 7 are resiliently engaged and arrested. However, the force of spring 24 is selected so that a displacement of the setting rack bars 7 causes the respective slanted projection 8a to urge the arresting bar 22 out of the engaged recesses 8 so that setting of the type wheel to a selected angular position is possible for each type wheel. A double armed blocking frame is mounted on a vertical shaft 51 secured to bed plate 1, and has a blocking portion 50a cooperating with the portion a of the arresting lever means 20, as best seen in FIG. 2. The upper arm 50b of the frame 50, is secured to the end of the linking rod 54 Whose other end is connected with the feeler lever 56, as described above. When feeler lever 56 is turned by carriage wheel 18 or by spring 59, the link rod 54 is displaced, and blocking frame 50 turns with blocking member 50a.

OPERATION When a customer has made a purchase, the credit card C is placed on the anvil plate lb, and a copy sheet p is placed on the credit card. The buttons 7a are manually operated to set the rack bars 7 to selected posi tions in which the top row formed by the aligned types 5b, is in the printing position under the copy sheet P, as best seen in FIG. 2.

During the longitudinal setting movement of some or all rack bars 7, not only selected type wheels 7 are turned by rack teeth '7', but also the resilient arresting means 20, 22 is moved out of the normal arresting position shown in FIG. 2, to an inoperative position every time a slanted projection 6a passes the angular arresting bar 22, until the desired position is reached. Since arresting bar 22 extends across all rack bars 7, it is displaced when any of the rack bars 7 is longitudinally displaced.

During this operation, the carriage 2 with the platen 3 is in an initial position, shown in FIG. 1, in which the wheel 18 engages the end of feeler lever 56, and holds the same against the action of the biassing spring 59 in a position in which the frame 50 is turned about shaft 51 to a position in which the blocking portion 50a is spaced from the lever portion 20a, so that the arresting means 20, 22 can freely move under the control of the slanted projections 811, as is required during setting of the type wheels 5.

When the setting has been completed, the carriage 2 is manually moved out of its initial position so that the wheel 18 moves with the respective projection 2a, and releases the end of the feeler lever 56 so that the feeler lever 56 is turned by the strong biassing spring 59 in clockwise direction as viewed in HS. 3, whereby the link 54 turns the blocking frame 50 with the blocking member 50a to an inoperative position spaced from the lever portion 200 of the arresting means 20, 22.

The blocking pressure by the blocking portion 50a is derived from the strong biassing spring 59 whose spring force is much greater than the force of spring 24. The arresting means 20a, 20, 22 are turned by the stronger force of biassing spring 59 to a position in which the angular arresting bar 22 holds all rack bars 7 blocked and immovable so that the rack teeth 7' block the gears 6 and thereby the type wheels 5 in the selected angular positions.

The carriage 2 with the platen 3 can now move in the printing stroke so that the platen roller 3 moves over the copy sheet P, over credit card C, and over the top row of set types 5b so that an imprint of the credit card data and of the selected number are made on the copy sheet.

The carriage 2 is now moved to its other end position, and then in a return stroke toward the initial position. When the wheel 18 approaches the curved end portion of feeler lever 56, the latter is turned in the direction of the arrow H, as shown in FIG. 3, whereby the biassing spring 59 is tensioned. In this tensioned position, the wheel 18 locks the feeler lever 56, so that the blocking means 50, 50a are moved to an inoperative position in which the blocking portion 50a releases portion 20a of the arresting means 20, 22 so that the weaker arresting spring 24 becomes again effective, permitting displacement of the arresting lever 20 against the action of spring 24 when the arresting bar 22 is subjected to the pressure of the slanted face of a projection 8a during longitudinal displacement of any selected rack bar 7.

Setting of the rack bars is only possible when the carriage 2 is in the initial position holding spring 59 tensioned by engagement of the feeler lever 56, and during the printing stroke, displacement of the type wheels due to contact with the platen roller 3 is not possible since the type wheels 5 are reliably blocked by the spring force transmitted from biassing spring 59 through linkage 54 to the blocking means 50, 50a, 50b holding the arresting means 20, 20a, 22 in the arresting position best seen in FIG. 2.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of type wheel arresting and blocking devices differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a manual printer provided with resiliently yielding arresting means for the type wheels, and having a spring-biassed blocking means controlled by the printing carriage and platen to block the type wheels during the setting operation when the carriage is in the initial position, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adapatations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Type wheel arresting and blocking device comprising supporting means; a set of type wheel means, each type wheel means including a type wheel having a series of types and a gear fixedly secured to said type wheel, each type wheel means being mounted on said supporting means for angular movement to bring a selected type to a printing position; setting means including a set of rack bars having a series of rack teeth meshing with said gears, said rack bars being movable in longitudinal direction for selectively turning and setting said type wheels so that an aligned row of types represents information and is placed in said printing position, said rack bars having a series of projections, each of said projections having a pair of side faces inclined with respect to each other so as to define between subsequent projections V-shaped arresting recesses; carriage means mounted on said supporting means for movement in a printing stroke out of an initial position, said carriage means including a platen roller moving over said aligned row of set type wheels during said printing stroke; a single yieldable arresting means mounted on said supporting means for movement between an arresting position and an inoperative position, said arresting means including a single arresting member extending across said rack bars and a single arresting spring permanently biasing said arresting member into selected recesses of all rack bars to engage in said arresting position the sides faces of the projections defining said selected recesses to maintain the types set by said setting means in printing position, said arresting means resiliently yielding to said inoperative position by moving at least one of said rack bars in longitudinal direction during setting the respective type wheel means and thereby pushing said arresting member out of the recess by the inclined side face of the respective projection; blocking means having a blocking position engaging and blocking said arresting member in said arresting position so that said type wheels are blocked in an exact position, and an inoperative position spaced from said arresting means; biasing means for urging said blocking means to said blocking position; and linkage means connecting said carriage means with said blocking means for holding. in said initial position of said carriage means, said blocking means in said inoperative position against the action of said biasing means so that the type wheel means can be set with said arresting means resiliently yielding, and for releasing said blocking means during the printing stroke of said carriage means so that the blocking means is moved by said biasing means to said blocking position and said type wheel means are blocked against displacement by said platen roller or by said setting means.

2. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each rack bar has a first longitudinal edge having said series of gear teeth. and a second longitudinal edge having said arresting recesses and projections.

3. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arresting means includes lever means pivotally mounted on said supporting means, wherein said arresting member is mounted on said lever means and has an edge perpendicular to said rack bars, and wherein said arresting spring means is connected with said lever means.

4. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biassing means includes a spring whose spring force is greater than the spring force of said arresting spring.

5. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting means include a shaft; and wherein said blocking means is mounted on said shaft for angular movement between said inoperative and blocking positions.

6. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said blocking means includes a frame mounted on said shaft, and a blocking member secured to said frame.

7. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said linkage means includes a linkage rod connected at one end with said blocking means, and at the other end with said biassing means, a feeler lever connected at said other end with said linkage rod and being mounted on said supporting means for angular movement between a first position in which said biassing means is held tensioned, and a second position in which said biassing means is released for moving said blocking means to said blocking position; and wherein said carriage means includes a portion for holding said feeler lever in said first position when said carriage means is in said initial position.

8. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said linkage means include a link biassed by said biassing means, and a feeler lever connected with said supporting means and said link for angular movement between a first position in which said blocking means is in said inoperative position and a second position in which said blocking means is in said blocking position; and wherein said carriage means includes a portion for holding said feeler lever in said first position when said carriage means is in said initial position.

9. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said portion of said carriage means is a wheel rolling on said supporting means during movement of said carriage means in said printing stroke and in a return stroke to said initial position, said carriage means having a plurality of wheels rolling on said supporting means and including said wheel.

10. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rack bars have setting portions; wherein said setting means includes manual means secured to each setting portion so that the position of said rack bars is selectively determined by a manual operation; and wherein said arresting spring has such a resilient force that manual pressure acting on said rack bars and said projections displaces said arresting means during setting when said blocking means are in said inoperative position, while in the operative position of said blocking means, said manual pressure on said projections is insufficient to displace the blocked arresting means. 

1. Type wheel arresting and blocking device comprising supporting means; a set of type wheel means, each type wheel means including a type wheel having a series of types and a gear fixedly secured to said type wheel, each type wheel means being mounted on said supporting means for angular movement to bring a selected type to a printing position; setting means including a set of rack bars having a series of rack teeth meshing with said gears, said rack bars being movable in longitudinal direction for selectively turning and setting said type wheels so That an aligned row of types represents information and is placed in said printing position, said rack bars having a series of projections, each of said projections having a pair of side faces inclined with respect to each other so as to define between subsequent projections V-shaped arresting recesses; carriage means mounted on said supporting means for movement in a printing stroke out of an initial position, said carriage means including a platen roller moving over said aligned row of set type wheels during said printing stroke; a single yieldable arresting means mounted on said supporting means for movement between an arresting position and an inoperative position, said arresting means including a single arresting member extending across said rack bars and a single arresting spring permanently biasing said arresting member into selected recesses of all rack bars to engage in said arresting position the sides faces of the projections defining said selected recesses to maintain the types set by said setting means in printing position, said arresting means resiliently yielding to said inoperative position by moving at least one of said rack bars in longitudinal direction during setting the respective type wheel means and thereby pushing said arresting member out of the recess by the inclined side face of the respective projection; blocking means having a blocking position engaging and blocking said arresting member in said arresting position so that said type wheels are blocked in an exact position, and an inoperative position spaced from said arresting means; biasing means for urging said blocking means to said blocking position; and linkage means connecting said carriage means with said blocking means for holding, in said initial position of said carriage means, said blocking means in said inoperative position against the action of said biasing means so that the type wheel means can be set with said arresting means resiliently yielding, and for releasing said blocking means during the printing stroke of said carriage means so that the blocking means is moved by said biasing means to said blocking position and said type wheel means are blocked against displacement by said platen roller or by said setting means.
 2. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each rack bar has a first longitudinal edge having said series of gear teeth, and a second longitudinal edge having said arresting recesses and projections.
 3. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arresting means includes lever means pivotally mounted on said supporting means, wherein said arresting member is mounted on said lever means and has an edge perpendicular to said rack bars, and wherein said arresting spring means is connected with said lever means.
 4. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biassing means includes a spring whose spring force is greater than the spring force of said arresting spring.
 5. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting means include a shaft; and wherein said blocking means is mounted on said shaft for angular movement between said inoperative and blocking positions.
 6. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said blocking means includes a frame mounted on said shaft, and a blocking member secured to said frame.
 7. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said linkage means includes a linkage rod connected at one end with said blocking means, and at the other end with said biassing means, a feeler lever connected at said other end with said linkage rod and being mounted on said supporting means for angular movement between a first position in which said biassing means is held tensioned, and a second position in which said biassing means is released for moving said blocking means to said blocking position; and wherein said carriage means includes a portion for holding said feeler lever in said first position when sAid carriage means is in said initial position.
 8. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said linkage means include a link biassed by said biassing means, and a feeler lever connected with said supporting means and said link for angular movement between a first position in which said blocking means is in said inoperative position and a second position in which said blocking means is in said blocking position; and wherein said carriage means includes a portion for holding said feeler lever in said first position when said carriage means is in said initial position.
 9. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said portion of said carriage means is a wheel rolling on said supporting means during movement of said carriage means in said printing stroke and in a return stroke to said initial position, said carriage means having a plurality of wheels rolling on said supporting means and including said wheel.
 10. Arresting and blocking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rack bars have setting portions; wherein said setting means includes manual means secured to each setting portion so that the position of said rack bars is selectively determined by a manual operation; and wherein said arresting spring has such a resilient force that manual pressure acting on said rack bars and said projections displaces said arresting means during setting when said blocking means are in said inoperative position, while in the operative position of said blocking means, said manual pressure on said projections is insufficient to displace the blocked arresting means. 